Tag Archives: olive oil
Florentine Lasagna by Terry
1 pound spinach — fresh
1 pound mushroom — fresh sliced
1 cup onion — chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup bechamel sauce
nutmeg — fresh
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese — freshly grated
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil — dried
1 tablespoon oregano — dried
1 package lasagna noodles — fresh
3 cups mozzarella cheese — fresh
1 can tomato sauce — small size
Blanch the spinach, drain pressing out excess moisture and set aside.
Saute the sliced mushrooms until they release their moisture and it cooks
off. Add the onions and saute until they are transparent. Add the garlic.
Add a little more oil if needed, a couple of tablespoons of flour and cook
for a few minutes. Add milk to make your bechamel. Make sure it’s rather
thick. Taste and add a generous grating of fresh nutmeg. Set aside until
cool.
Cook the lasagne noodles until just slightly underdone. Drain.
Mix ricotta, 1/2 of the Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.(Rub
the basil and oregano between your hands as you add it to release the
natural oils).
Add the cooled spinach mixture to the ricotta mixture and combine gently.
Oil the bottom of your baking pan with a little olive oil. Start your layers
with the noodles then the ricotta-spinach mixture and so forth until you
have about 4 layers.ending with a noodle layer Top with the remaining
Parmesan cheese. Add the mozzarella cheese. I used the marinated fresh
mozzarella which has a wonderful basil flavor. I get it at the deli counter
at my supermarket. They are the small balls about the size of a large
marble. I slice them up and arrange on top of the lasagne. Add one small can
of tomato sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350F for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven after 1 hour and let it rest for 30 minutes before
cutting.
You can assemble this a day ahead if you like. It’s always wonderful
reheated.
The important thing with this recipe is to use all fresh ingredients. If you
can’t buy the fresh lasagna noodles you can use the dry but It would not be
as tasty. Serves 6
Salad Dressing by Phyllis
3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Honey
1/4 tsp. roasted sesame oil, optional ( I used it)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
I put it all into a small jar and mixed it up…I tossed it onto Romain lettuce, diced red onion, and sliced celery!! YUMskies!!
Heaven and Hell Cauliflower Pasta
adapted from Judy Rodgers’ “Zuni Cafe Cookbook”
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
Extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tin of anchovies, chopped (I know, I know, it’s a lot: trust me)
1 – 2 Tbs fennel seeds
Red pepper flakes to taste (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 pound pasta (ziti works best)
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. In a large saute pan, coat the bottom with olive oil and turn up the heat to medium-high. Leave it for a minute or two until adding a piece of cauliflower makes it sizzle.
3. In a bowl, combine the garlic, the anchovies, the fennel seeds and red pepper. This is your bowl of flavor.
4. When the oil is hot enough, add half your cauliflower: or just enough so it’s all in one layer. Leave it for a bit (a few minutes) then toss around until the cauliflower is a deep, golden brown all over. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the caramelized cauliflower to a plate and add the other half of the raw cauliflower and repeat this step. You may need to add more oil too, depending on how much the first batch absorbed.
6. Cook the rest of the cauliflower until golden brown (don’t forget to season it too; taste, so you know if it tastes good), add the rest of the cauliflower back in and then add HALF your spice mixture.
7. At the same time that you add half your spice mixture, your water should be at a boil. If it’s not, wait to add the spices or the garlic might burn. If your water’s at a boil, add a LOT of salt (the water should taste salty, like the sea) and then add a box of penne or ziti to the boiling water. Stir around so it doesn’t stick together.
8. As the pasta cooks, stir the cauliflower around along with half the spice mixture: about 30 seconds or so. Then ladle in a big ladleful of the pasta cooking water to the cauliflower pan. This’ll be your “sauce.” If the water sputters and spurts when you add it, lower the heat. How much water really depends on how long it takes the pasta to cook and how much water the cauliflower absorbs. Suffice it to say, you don’t want it to be soupy; just thickish liquid at the bottom of the pan.
9. When the pasta’s done cooking (start tasting it after 5 minutes; it should be pretty al dente when you add it to the cauliflower mixture) lift the cooked pasta into the cauliflower using a slotted spoon or, much better, a spider. (You can buy them in Chinatown for $5.)
10. Stir the pasta together with the cauliflower with the heat still on until you’re happy with the amount of liquid in there (the pasta tubes will carry some water with them too). I usually do it until there’s no liquid left at the bottom of the pan.
11. Take the pan off the heat and add, in no particular order: a splash of cold olive oil (it’s an Italian trick via Mario Batali’s show), the rest of the spice mixture and then your grated cheese. Stir all around and taste.
Pasta with broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound boneless, un-chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cups small broccoli florets
1/2 to 3/4 cup oil-packed, julienned sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil
A pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup veggie broth
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound bow-tie pasta, cooked
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
In a large skillet, sauté the garlic in oil quickly over medium-high heat, being careful not to burn.
Add un-chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Remove and cover with tinfoil to keep warm.
Add the broccoli florets to the pan with a little more oil, if necessary. Stir and toss broccoli until crisp-tender.
Return chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, wine and veggie broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the butter, cover and simmer over low heat, for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the cooked bow tie pasta to the pan. Stir to blend and serve with grated Parmesan on the side.
creamy polenta with fricassee of mushrooms Scott Connant
Creamy Polenta:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 ounces cornmeal, preferably coarse ground (about 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated grana padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives, optional
In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the cream and milk and heat over medium-high heat just until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Add the salt, and whisk the cream and milk until quite frothy.
Add the polenta and continue to whisk the mixture as it comes to a boil. Continue whisking for an additional 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook the polenta, stirring every 5 minutes or so (switch to a wooden spoon), until the cornmeal is completely cooked and quite tender, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. It may seem very thin initially, but it will gradually thicken. As the polenta cooks, a skin will form on the bottom and sides of pan (if you are not using a nonstick pan), which is proper and which gives the polenta a slightly toasty flavor.
Mushrooms:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
8 ounces mixed domestic and wild mushrooms, sliced or cut into naturally occurring pieces (about 2 cups)
Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup homemade chicken reduction, recipe follows, or purchased chicken reduction, diluted with water until a little thicker than chicken stock Use veggie stcok
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon preserved truffles (optional)
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until the shallots just begin to color on their edges. Add the mushrooms and crushed red pepper to taste and cook until the liquid is released. Add the chicken reduction, bring to a boil, reduce to a bubbling simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. (You can prepare the mushrooms ahead up to this point; reheat them over medium-high heat just before serving.)
Just before serving, stir in the butter, grana padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano and chives if using. The polenta should pour from the spoon as you serve it and will thicken as it cools. If necessary, you can thin the polenta with a little milk just before serving. Divide the polenta among heated bowls or plates.
Just before serving, reheat the mushrooms if necessary. Toss the mushrooms with the chives and preserved truffles. Spoon some mushrooms and some of the cooking juices over each serving of polenta.
Kale Salad — Tina
I used pumpkin seeds as I didn’t have candied walnuts and I like them with kale.
I had a big bag of chopped fresh kale only half-used. I had apples. I had spiced walnuts in the freezer that I made ages ago.
So I massaged the kale with some olive oil, s&p, and a few red pepper flakes. Put it on a cookie sheet with the frozen nuts and warmed them in a 325F oven for about 15 minutes. The kale was just crisp and the nuts had warmed through.
I made a light amount of dressing with balsamic, olive oil, s&p, bit of Dijon and a pinch of sugar. Chopped an apple.
When the kale and nuts had cooled, I chopped the nuts roughly, and tossed nuts, kale and apples with the dressing.
DMV Note: a nice addition is grated feta, pecorino or parm
Salt-and-Vinegar Potatoes From “Cooks Country” Magazine
Use small red potatoes, measuring 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 pound small red potatoes
14 ounces kosher salt
3 tablespoons malt vinegar
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees F. Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet. Brush second rimmed baking sheet evenly with oil. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in potatoes and salt, and cook until just tender and paring knife slips easily in and out of potatoes, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to wire rack; let dry for 10 minutes.
2. Transfer potatoes to oiled baking sheet. Flatten each potato with underside of measuring cup until 1/2 inch thick. Brush potatoes with half of vinegar and season with pepper. Roast until potatoes are well browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Brush with remaining vinegar. Transfer potatoes to platter, smashed side up. Serve.
Skillet Pizza by carla
2 pounds Hot Italian Sausage; casing removed – use veggie sausage
2 pounds Pizza Dough
1 quart Basic Tomato Sauce Fresh Basil; to garnish
Sweet & Spicy Peppers:
3 Bell Peppers; red & yellow; thinly sliced
1 Fresno Chili (thinly sliced)
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Marjoram
Salt Freshly Cracked
Black Pepper
Cheese Blend:
1 pound Fresh Ricotta
1 1/2 pounds Fresh Mozzarella; grated
1 cup freshly Grated Parmesan
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Crispy Shallot: 1 cup Flour
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt; plus more as needed
5 Shallots; thinly sliced into rings Vegetable Oil; for frying
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Lightly grease a 10-12 inch cast iron pan with olive oil and place in oven to preheat.
In a large skillet or cast iron pan, brown the sausage until crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Roll out dough to 18 inches in diameter. Place into the preheated cast iron pan allowing the edges to fall over the sides. Add a few ladles of sauce and cover the bottom of the dough.
Add a layer of Cheese, Peppers, Sausage, Sauce and then more Cheese. Crimp the edges of the dough around the edges of the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until Cheese is bubbly and dough is cooked and golden.
Mushroom Soup with Marsala, RR
1/2 ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for frying bread, divided
1 pound cremini (baby Portobello) mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup marsala
Good quality white, peasant or Italian bread, sliced
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
In a medium pot, simmer the porcini mushrooms in the stock to soften, about 10 minutes.
In a soup pot, heat 1/4 cup EVOO over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to ripple, add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned and tender, 12-15 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaf and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Stir until the shallots soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the marsala, scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half.
Remove the porcini mushrooms from the stock, chop, then add to the pot. Pour the porcini stock into the soup pot, being careful not to add the last few spoonfuls where grit may have settled. Add 2 cups water to the pot and simmer until flavors combine, about 10 minutes. Season to taste.
In a skillet, heat a thin layer of EVOO over medium heat. Add the bread and cook until light golden and crisp.
Before serving, stir the parsley and lemon juice into the soup. Place a piece of fried bread in each soup bowl, sprinkle with a little cheese and top with soup.